Comment Archives: stories: Columns

@Thomas Cooper I agree that if anything comes out of this folks should realize that we have to take responsibility for our own reality. Political leaders will come and go but our issues will remain the same and like you said we have to rely on each other to get through it the best way we can. Thank you for sharing such sage lessons and historical references.

I think we are most compelled now to look at our lives through the modest evolutions from which so many have and still evolve.

I impenitently stand on the sturdy shoulders of those whose devotion to change though not violent was still virulent and vituperative. I know the names of god mothers and fathers my own mother and father--whose flesh side of hand bore the scars of hours and hours of unrelenting work in bad conditions though in distinguished and dignified silence still voluminously tore down institutions like this newly proposed national one-- that was meant to do them harm. I have stood in sun, rain, wind, and cold with black community leaders who rallied their folk and other looking folk from all over and dared them to be still while local, county, state and federal leaders unabashedly targeted populations and attempted to undermine basic dignities that lineage blood had shed to attain. I have had my fair share of voter education rallies, donation pickups for clothing pantries, donation dropout to senior citizen high rises and section 8 community dwellers, document reads and signature signs for the unable to do so and have caught myself on occasions stopping just short of begging to hear just one more sage line from one of the most encouraging older mentor men I knew whose AIDs related death so stunned me in my younger adulthood I could hardly go among the many people and agencies he changed over his life because the memories were too painful. I am RESOLVED AND RESIGNED to be and do one thing whatever I and those of a kindred spirit have always donewhatever we can reasonably to destroy what appears to be one of the most openly divisive hate mongering machines to touch down in the free modern election era since Jesse Helms and Robert Byrds forces converged but still even many of that day never thought to give glimpses for presidencies.

In any case, we certainly cannot be trepid souls before and among those whom time has placed us in such proximity. Those who did so much more with so much less. They ALL told us who NEVER to trust AND WHY. We have been empowered. We know what we must do. We have been successful and will be again.

We just have to get past our utter appall and misinterpretation of how soon history can duplicate itself.

This is politics such as it is. We had a choice between two candidates neither of whom represented what was best for America, and so, once again, we were forced to choose between the lesser of two evils because once again, we found ourselves caught up in the embrace of the partisan political process as if it were out only hope for change. And so it is as long as we are foolish enough to surrender our potential power to one man. I have said this before, and I will say it again. Martin Luther King, Jr. taught us much about using our power collectively to bring about real social change, and yet we have forgotten the lessons. King placed little faith in the partisan political process. Instead he showed people how they could work together to make the changes they wanted. It wasn't easy and it didn't happen overnight, but he showed that it was possible. Our hope does not lie with any single person. It does not lie in laws, elections, or ever Supreme Court decisions. It lies in our collective will to do what is necessary, and unless we are willing and take action ourselves, we will fall into the despair of the outcome of elections, and we will wait for another four years to pass so that we can expend all of our energy and squander our faith on the possible outcome of an election. Einstein said that insanity was doing the same thing repeatedly expecting a different outcome. And so here we are writing a tale told by idiots. The rest is silence.

The day Trump won the highest office in the land is the day the country officially went bats**t crazy. Forget his bigotry, xenophobia, misogyny, narcissism. This is a 70-year-old man who stays up all night tweeting replies to everyone who gets under his thin orange skin. That should be enough to disqualify him from office.
But no. Not in 2016. Not in the Year of the Crazy.
Obama brought class, intelligence and reason to the White House. Trump brings tantrums and anti-intellectualism. Gonna be a long four years.
But I'm with you, CE. I'm resolved to battle this blowhard clown all the way down to the wire. He didn't win the popular vote. He didn't even win a majority of Republican primary votes. He's a con man and carnival barker who slipped through the back door because the Establishment couldn't open its eyes long enough to develop a winning strategy against the worse presidential candidate in history.
Trump is not my president. He's just a temporary tenant at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. I'm resolved to demand that the opposition party and media keep a laser focus on all of Trump's shady deals, shady connections, and shady friends and colleagues. I guarantee something will come up -- something YUUUUGE -- that will send him out of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. on his a88.
Stay strong. Stay focused.

@Tony Tony Stark OMG please can the sister with the big hat and formal voice read your note during the church announcements right after letting people know that the young adult singles ministry will now meet in the other building since the couple that facilitates it is going through a messy divorce....lol Thank you as always for your insight and cultural tone.

Yes, the #PrayForCharlotte is generic & impersonal, and (in my opinion) only floated by local news outlets AFTER the first night of protest (on the first night it was #CharlotteProtest). On the second (and following) days, local news media started floating #PrayForCharlotte and #OneCharlotte when they were reprimanded by Pat McCory (who I am hoping will soon be the Former Governor of North Carolina) for continuing to elevate the situation with their local & social media coverage. And Yes, the Facebook prompt was completely annoying, as if we were under some “terrorist attack” rather than citizens utilizing their rights. (I shared a few written words to Facebook about that as well).

Here’s the thing though: Social Media is a generic, impersonal, and a non-compassionate form of communication, and it is incumbent upon those that truly care about us (friends, family…etc) to reach out personally to see: ‘how we are truly doing.’ This exact same thing happened in Milwaukee, WI in August (where my sister lives) and I called her, just as she called me last week because I live in Charlotte. BUT…guess who Did Not reach out to me personally (nor did I them): The ‘so-called’ professionally assimilated and ‘accepted’ Black men and women (that I know) that work at great jobs with Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Duke Energy, TIAA-CREF, Carolina Health, etc. You know why we did not personally contact each other (and still haven’t) …it’s because we know that NONE of us were down there protesting.

You see, we (the ‘professional blacks’) have deemed Ourselves as the “special black people” because we are college educated with good jobs, and we are not about to join a protest with “those” black people. Because we’ve worked too hard to not be perceived as “those black people,” …we are different. You see, we “different/special Blacks” have the distinct, “mutant ability to smile, swap sugar and "bless your heart" into a false sense of normalcy and content. Each syrupy exchange, however, can be laced with a cold, biting dose of unspoken truths.” -Charles Easley.

We disassociate Ourselves from ‘the blacks’ (and ‘their’ issues) that live in disenfranchised communities like Beatties Ford Road, Central Avenue and Freedom Drive: Because we (“different/special Blacks”) now live in Ballantyne, Dilworth and/or Myers Park, and we ‘wear a special cape over our bodies that disguise all the prejudice that comes with our skin color.’ You see, we (“different/special Blacks”) just wait for liberal-hearted White People to stand up for those “other blacks” that we disassociate from. The only role we (“different/special Blacks”) have to play now is to Tweet and/or Facebook the arbitrary sentiment of, “Praying for Ya’ll.” (#PrayForCharlotte). (I hope you get my satirical point  and the capitalizations are on purpose).

As for Kaepernick, I would like to know what well-thought out RESULTS he initially wanted from his National protest (besides all the attention he is receiving)?? I would also like to know what civil rights activism that he has been ACTIVELY a part of before he decided to ‘take a knee??’ Was his entire point that; ‘America disrespects Blacks, so I am going to disrespect America?...
A great Biblical Proverb as quoted by Philosopher-Friedrich Nietzsche: “Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster...”

Again, brilliant article as usual Charles! And I am going to stop writing now before I write an entire book on your blog! Lol!

My favorite column of yours ever! This is real truth. For so much of Charlotte, the vitriol is against protesters, not police brutality; the care if for property, not lives. Call it out and keep going. The time has passed for trying to educate or convince others of our humanity. There much more urgent need to protect ourselves and our rights deserves our energy.

Sister Jones and that old deacon have me wanting to know if we should be expecting any others for comfort outside of those who look like the primary suffers.

I cannot help wondering how similar what we see today is to what took place centuries ago when people of color were being killed and there would be the same abiding silence. I think silence meant more than the absence of basic human cordialities then and I surmise it means more amid the noisy stillness today.

Perhaps we have been too difficult to reach, get in touch with, to contact. Perhaps we have not offered that we would like others folk to look in, see how we are doing. Perhaps we have not done a good job conveying that just because there have been nearly 200 African Americans killed this year --a great many unarmed --that it is okay if others who do not look like the victims and are openly aghast and outraged to come by and let us know. Sister Jones and old deacon usually don’t take too long with their petitions. Other looking folk are welcomed to follow them at our house or worship. Oh, if welcomed, we would gladly go to their churches as well.

Perhaps, just perhaps, we need to be, like these mounting killings, in plain view.

Something like:

“America, you are most welcome and encouraged to join African American and others in prayer and expressions of loving care during this time of deep abiding anguish, sorrow, and distress that has witnessed scores of unprovoked African American deaths and killings. We would be most thankful for your prayers of healing and recovery for us and for our whole nation. We know as one indivisible nation under God this would be exemplary of our collective citizenship.

“And as we make this formal, we accept that you may not be free to join us until after you have comforted the offending police departments and law enforcement agencies or completed honoring our nation’s promise with a stoic hand over heart, stand-at-attention national anthem recognition. That is fine. What matters most is that you know you are welcome to still come by and see how we are doing. Forgive any previous oversight.”

There.

It’s done.

Maybe that is all we need to make Sister Jones and Old deacons exemplary offerings more multicultural....

@Marty I know we try to support in our spirits but in a time where so much is coming at us it is in those very times some basic old fashioned rich communication is needed so that we do not misinterpret silence as being dismissive rather than I belive some are just being pensive. Even if it is to say I do not know what to say but I see you and I care. Your heart always comes from an honest place my friend. Thank you for sharing.

@Will Brooks You have always been kind of an old soul man...smile. Those are some very valid observations you share and folks should take note. It starts with how we participate in the system and reaching out and checking on those that you care about is important. Thank you for sharing.

Your words are always so poignant...Through your transparency and honesty, I feel you and I've made a commitment to myself to not become desensitized, but continue to feel every emotions that is evoked. I appreciate and honor your words.

Perfect in many ways, Charles. I, too, become silent, not knowing whether my words are even wanted or accepted. I have been remiss with my friends but I am still here, listening, watching, and learning. I strive to have an open mind and heart, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are all God's creation. Ms. Miller is, as always, timely and wise.

High praise for this article from a former student of yours Charles. In any circumstance such as this I, like many others, can become distant due to the actions not happening directly to me or people like me, a white male in America. But what you said about how Martha was praying specifically for someone she knew(You) that could be affected or even is affected by the current circumstances of the country, I am brought to a familiar place. Now I don't love all black people, nor do I love all white people or any other people because I simply don't know them all. But knowing I have several brown and black friends whom I love like brothers, I am hit with a realization that I need to pray and put out a helping hand for not only them, but people alike.

Racism, institutionalized or personal, tends to become a reflection of how we see a certain group people. And that often times becomes null when we grow close to individuals. That's been the case with me. I know some great black and brown individuals and that to me is enough to know that no group is all this or that: black or white. Cheers!

Banning the public from access to police footage "promotes transparency"? Really, Pat??--and how exactly are you prepared to prove that? Once again, our so-called governor demonstrates that he is working from a completely different dictionary than the ones we learned to use in school. In PatLand, apparently, war is peace, freedom is slavery, and ignorance (of citizens) is strength (of NC GOP and its tools, including the NCGA majority and the elements purportedly sworn to "protect and serve" those both in and out of power).

As kid in DC, with my Mom, we would go to McDonald's and someone would always sit in the other part of the 4 top. I remember asking my Mom why people did that. IN suburban Virgina people would use social graces to ask if it was OK to sit with someone else. In the city, 10 short miles away, it was the opposite.